“No, I didn’t, actually. Is she still around the area? Who is she?”
Walt nodded. “Yes, sir. I knew her as Reeny Hennington. You know her as Irene Helms, Travis’s grandmother.”
“Walt,” Trixie said conspiratorially. “Travis told me that his grandfather passed away five years ago. Have you been in touch with her lately?”
“Darlin’, that ship sailed a long time ago. I’m an old man, and I’ve got nothing to offer her or anyone else.” He patted Trixie’s leg and said, “Now, how about y’all get out of my hair and go get naked or something.”
She laughed.
“Stop thinking about my girl naked,” Nick warned. “I’ll take care of the horses for a few days so you can stay off that ankle.”
“And I’ll pop over with lunch in a few hours and bring dinner around seven. Remember, your phone is on the table beside you, plugged into the charger. Call if you need anything at all. You have Nick’s number, and I put my number in it, too, because Nick is as bad at carrying his phone as you are.” Trixie leaned in and kissed Walt’s cheek. “I’ll grab your walking stick from the front porch so you can lean on it in case you need to go to the bathroom.”
The second she was out the front door, Walt said, “You’d better marry that girl, or I will. I haven’t serenaded a woman in fifty years, but I’m sure I still have it in me.”
Walt had once told Nick there were few firsts a man could give a woman that meant something and to save serenading for the one he couldn’t live without.
Trixie breezed back in before Nick could give him shit about his comment. She put the walking stick by the couch. “Here you go.” She took Nick’s hand as if she’d been doing it her whole life and said, “We should go take care of our menagerie, collect the chickens’ eggs, let the goats into the play area, and I want to get some training in before lunch.”
“I liked Walt’s idea of getting naked.” Nick winked at Walt, and they headed outside.
Trixie huddled closer as they walked across the pasture. “I need to call Jilly.”
“Why?”
“Because we have matchmaking to do!”
“Trixie, don’t mess with his life.”
“I messed with yours, and look how happy you are!” She gave him a peck on his cheek, said, “Race you to the horses!” and took off running.
He had a feeling Walt didn’t stand a chance.
NICK WENT INSIDE to shower before dinner and followed the heavenly aroma of chili into the kitchen. Trixie stood barefoot in her Daisy Dukes and belly-baring shirt, stirring the chili on the stove and bobbing her head to whatever she was listening to through her earbuds. A freshly baked pie was cooling on the counter beside a dish covered with tinfoil. On the island were two vases overflowing with wildflowers. When did you pick those? He leaned over the island and peeled back the tinfoil, revealing Trixie’s homemade jalapeño corn bread, one of Nick’s favorites. Her voice whispered through his mind. Inviting friends and family over every once in a while would make your house homier. They didn’t need anyone else in the house to make it homier. She did it all by herself.
When they’d gone to have lunch with Walt, she’d weaseled more stories out of him about his time in Hollywood and the famous women he’d had affairs with. She’d called him brave for starting a new life so far away and shared a story about when she was younger and had gone to her first sleepover. She’d called her mother and had gone home in the middle of the night because she’d been homesick. Nick had thought he’d known everything there was to know about his bold girl, but he was learning there was a lot more to her than he’d ever imagined.
He put his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek, wondering if he could overdose on a woman so sweet and sexy. She pulled out her earbuds and turned in his arms.
“My girl can cook. You’ve been holding out on me.”
“You never asked if I could cook.” She kissed his chin. “And you’ve always known I could bake. I made your favorite jalapeño corn bread.”
“I saw, but I’m a little jealous that you went all out for Walt.”
“It’s not all for Walt. We’re having dinner with him, remember?”
He nipped at her neck. “That’s why I came in early. I thought we could have an appetizer.”
“This does need to simmer for twenty minutes.”
“Perfect.”
As he lowered his lips to hers, she put her hand flat on his chest, keeping him at bay. “But we’ll need to shower before dinner, too, and I seem to remember you saying ten minutes wasn’t enough to whet your appetite.”
“Is that a challenge?”
She brushed her hips against him. “More like a dare.”
“You should know by now that I never back down.”
“I banked on it.”
He hauled her over his shoulder and smacked her ass, earning a shriek and a giggle as he carried her into the bedroom. Between making the first move, revealing her romantic underbelly, and challenging him at every turn, she was going to drive him mad—and he looked forward to every single second of it.
Chapter Twenty
TRIXIE PUT ON the chic navy-blue sleeveless dress she’d bought at Jillian’s shop and slipped on her heels. It was Tuesday afternoon, and the conservative dress was perfect for her meeting with Jordan Lawler, the director of the volunteer program at Pleasant Care Assisted Living. She admired herself in the mirror, taking in the rounded neckline and the pretty knotted detail at her hip. The skirt stopped just above her knee, and the diagonal pockets gave it a hint of casual without losing its professional edge. Trixie felt sharp and confident, even if a little out of her element, in the fancy duds. But she couldn’t be better prepared. She’d practiced her pitch on Nick so many times, she could recite it in her sleep. He’d been patient and helpful, asking questions and giving her pointers.
Now, if only she could calm her nerves.
Her phone rang, startling her. She grabbed it from the dresser and answered the FaceTime call from Lindsay. Lindsay’s and Amber’s faces appeared on the screen, and they said, “Hi! Good luck today!”
“Thank you. How are you guys? I’m so happy to see your faces.”
“We’re great,” Lindsay said. “Brindle wanted to join us, but she had a teacher meeting.” Brindle taught high school English and ran the drama club at the elementary school. “She sends you loads of love and good luck.”
“Be sure to thank her for me. I need all the luck I can get.”
“You look beautiful,” Amber said. “That’s a great color on you.”
“Thanks.” She held the phone away from her body, so they could see the whole dress. “It’s one of Jilly’s designs. Isn’t it gorgeous?”
“It’s perfect,” Amber said.
Lindsay gave her a thumbs-up. “You’re going to do great today.”
“I hope so. It’s been a crazy few days. Do you remember Nick’s neighbor, Walt?”
“How could we forget Walt the ex-Hollywood flirt?” Lindsay said. “Jilly said you were concocting some sort of matchmaking plan for him.”